St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-14
AN OBSTINATE FIRE.
Minneapolis Visited by Another Small
confla ration.
MUCH DAMAGE BY WATER.
a List Of the Buildings Which Came
In for a Share of the
Searching.

AT 10 o'clock last night fire broke out
in the rear of the store at 103 Washing
ton avenue south. An alarm was
turned in Immediately. but before the
department arrived dense black smoke
was pouring from the roof and the rear
windows. The firemen had hard work
in finding the fire, and when it was
found it was hard to get at,
on account of being next to
the alley. and there being no
hallway leading to the room where the
blaze was. When the department be-
gan pouring in water it came fast and
thick. About so the rear part of the
roof fell in with crash, and several
firemen had narrow escape from a
most horrible death. The roof did not
go clear through, but only fell one
story. Half an hour later the flames
were under full control.
The building in which the fire origin
ated was owned by Nelson Williams.
The first floor was occupied by Weitzer
d Gutenberg with a stock of clothing
and furnishing goods. The second
floor was occupied by 2. Franklin as
fur manufacturing establishment. he
the rear, which were entirely destroyed
by fire and water and the falling
roof. The front part of the second
story, as well as the third floor over
Hoffiins drug store next door. was Oc-
cupied by the Minneapolis lodge No.
A, b. o. p. E. Next to Hoffiin's drug
store is the tailor shop of Lofgren d
Bro, next is J. d. Dukes, with a stock
of confectionery and fruit; Nelson &
Mclean are next. with stock of tailor
ing goods. and the saloon of j. L. Shib-
ley is on the corner of the alley. Soon
after it was announced that the ire was
under control, IL o'clock, a second
alarm was turned in, the flames having
broken out more fiercely than ever.
After the second alarm had been rung
in the fire seemed to gain steadily, and
soon developed into one of the meaneSt
that the department has ever had to
fight. The manSard roof on the build
ings next to Hoffiin's, on First avenue
south, prevented the firemen from get
ting at the seat of the trouble. The
flames got in the ceiling and travelled
steadily onward until HOfflin'S building
was reached.
Here it went through the fire wall, and
for a short time it seemed as though the
Hofflin building was doomed. How
ever, the flames were confined to the
roof and to one corner of the ante-roOm
of the Elmo lodge room. In this corner
it did considerable damage, destroying
the walls and burning out the roof. The
regular lodge room. in the front part of
the building. which was most hand
somely fitted up, was badly damaged by
smoke and water. The buildings to
the west of Hoffin's were COM
for md
raging stream came rushing
down the stairway leading up stairs. AT
II 80 the flames were subdued. The
sight then was a peculiar one. Huge
streams of water running from all the
buildings, the roofs fallen in and the
windows all shattered and knocked out.
Hoffiin was damaged considerably by
water running through onto his goods.
The row of buildings from the corner of
First avenue south and Washington up
to the alley on First avenue is
owned by r. N. HOOley, of Chicago, he
having purchased the property for
$4,000 some time ago. The damage OIL
the buildings will amount to nearly
$4,000. The building on Washington
avenue owned by Nelson Williams, in
which the fire started, was damaged by
fire and water about s., 900. They were
well insured. The buildings were oc-
cupied as follows: pol Wash
ington avenue, j. r. Hoffiin,
drugs: second floor, DIR. T. f. Quinby,
DIR. S. \. Downev; third floor, Ellis
Lodge No. 203. WeitZer q Gutenberg,
clothing; second and third floors, P.
Franklin, furrier. Next to HOfflins on
First avenue were LOfgren Bros, tail
ors, who occupied the first and second
floors. Next came j. ID. Dukes on the
ground floor with confectionery and
fruit. Lofgren Bros. occupied the
second story; Nelson & Mclean, tailors,
occupied the next store and next to
them was j. r. SHIRLEY, saloon. He
had the rooms Oh the second floor above
his own place and Nelson IL McLean's.
The loss and insurance are as follows:
Stock. Loss; Insnr'ce